


To Die A Culpeper

by HaleyBean



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Catcher in the Rye - Freeform, Catherine Howard - Freeform, Cute park book activities, F/M, It'll Pick up, King Henry VIII - Freeform, Literature, The Return of the Native, This one starts out slow, Thomas Culpeper - Freeform, history nerds
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-12
Updated: 2016-12-12
Packaged: 2018-09-08 01:16:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,911
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8824363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HaleyBean/pseuds/HaleyBean
Summary: Spencer Reid has found someone willing to discuss literature with him while neither of them have to ever say a word, as their meeting grows closer, so do they, even if they don't know each other's real names!





	1. I

It had been another long day in mid june, the air was sticky as you walked down the street. You had a small headache and sore eyes, in fear of this worsening like the several times before, you spun your hair out of your bun and sighed. The Locust Shade Park had become a sort of home for you. When you weren't cramming on the proper verb conjugations for your next exam you were out in the woods. After spending the past six years mastering languages it was a pleasant break to let the trees do the talking for you. You made your way to the bench you frequented so often and sat down.

Pulling out The Return of The Native you flipped to the inside cover to see the note you had written. After pulling out your pen to sign it you opened the free bookbox the park had put up. Gently, you set inside another book read and annotated by you, Cartier D. Howah, of course that wasn’t your real name, your real name was (Y/N) (L/N) but know one needed to know that. You pulled out the three other books from the small cedar box, flipping through them you find only one other that has been marked on.

 

“You’ve referenced this one before, I’d like to share my notes with you ~ T. Culpeper” 

 

You hold the copy of Catcher in the Rye in your hands.

 

It hadn’t taken this T. Culpeper long to figure out that you were using a pseudonym that was also an anagram for Catherine Howard, he too appeared to be a history buff by responding as Thomas Culpeper, one of the Queen's favorite past times. The two of you had been exchanging notes in the books you were reading, whenever either of you would finish one you would sign it and leave it here to be picked up and discussed between the margins. You came here after you got out of class everyday to check if your mysterious Culpeper had left you something. 

 

He seemed to read very quickly, often finishing long and frustrating texts after only a few days, however there were weeks when there would be nothing, no response, no note. Those weeks used to worry you, but now you just assumed he goes on frequent business trips. You use those weeks to try and finish other novels and collections in advance for when he returns. 

 

The sun is starting to fall in the sky as you slip your new book into your bag and start your walk home, tomorrow was a big day for you. Tomorrow it would be decided if you were going to be brought on full time to work for the FBI, you’ve been a contracted linguistic analyst for just under a year now, and even though you’ve already received your master's degree you always end up back in class learning some new language. Words are how you cope and how you live and how you would like to love. For now you’re too nervous to use your words, instead you’ll use his, you’ll get to your apartment ready to die a Culpeper, not a contracter.

 

He always left the office late, early for lunch, yes, and late for home. He walks through the park every lunch and every night, stopping at his favorite bench and taking inventory. Today Reid had left her a book she’s always eluding to, Catcher in the Rye. It had always given him mixed feelings, although a good book, so many people have used it as an excuse for their misdoings that it leaves a bad taste in his mouth. Sliding the plastic guard back he pulls out the book that hadn’t been there at lunch. Musing over the biography of Thomas Hardy and the short quips jotted here and there Spencer began the rest of his walk home. He could use some light reading tonight, Hotch had told the team to gather in the debriefing room early the next morning and Reid wasn’t quite sure what for. Always liking to be on top of things and in the know this left him mildly uneasy. However, he knew one thing, he could always find solace in a book, especially one that had been ravenously dissected by royalty.


	2. II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And thus, the books exchange and their plot thickens.

There was a pounding in your chest, a visible gasp for air that was shown on your face as sweat dripped from your forehead. As you looked down at your times and marks for the fitness qualification portion of your admittance test you were brought back to that day. 

A voice brought you out of your thoughts.

“I understand you’ve been working with the CIU as one of their top translators, they seem very hesitant to let you go.”

“Well Sir, they won’t have any issues finding a replacement for me I worked among several great linguists and, well the opening here is a really great offer and I’m very glad to be considered for it.”

“So this isn’t about money then?”

“Right, profilers, I should have known. No Agent Hotchner it isn’t just about money. At- at the CIU I never got answers, questions, always questions but never answers. I’ve heard so much about the BAU, that everyone here is like a family. I’m tired of translating and not being in the know of what's going on, I want to be part of a team, not just a tool for one to use.   
There was this case last year I helped work on. This girl, Camila, she only spoke spanish, she had been smuggled in the country with her mother who- her mother had been killed. They were both held by the men who offered them freedom. Camila escaped, her mother- her mother was punished for that. We caught the men in the end. But no one bothered to tell me that their boss was still out there, or that- that in a few weeks after she had thought she had a home and she was out of the system… The boss of the men found the girl, and El Paso PD found the body. I want no loose ends Sir, I want this job because I know I can do more to help than translate words that only reach debriefs and not mouths. I want this job because I know I can do more to help.”

A small smile came through the Supervisory Agent’s facade. He gave a small nod and a wave of his hand.

“Well Agent (L/N), welcome home, you'll be bunking in the bullpen, I expect you to not be late for dinner tomorrow at 0700 sharp.” 

“Thank you Sir I-”

“Please, its Hotch”

“Well I won’t let you down, I promise, Hotch.”

The best thing about today was your badge, the second best thing was that Quantico was closer to the park than your university had been. You were practically skipping by the time you got to the bench and the box. Sitting down a moment you took the time to underline a few more passages and write a note. Placing it in the box you began to jog towards your apartment, the same pounding in your chest you remembered earlier was present, the same ache mixed with lightness. This time through the sweat was a smile and a calm rhythm of breath. 

No one was happy to be here this early. Usually they weren't expected to be at work until 0730 but today they had been called in at 0600. Even with the previous night's warning of an early rise no one seemed to heed Hotch’s words. 

A groggy Garcia walked in with Morgan and sat down as Rossi looked around inquisitively. 

“No presentation today Penelope?” 

“I’m afraid I have as much knowledge on our early birding as you do my dear sleepy Italian.”

J.J. looked over to Spencer who was amassing a pocket full of empty sugar packets from his early morning coffee.

“Spence is that really necessary”

“Well actually researchers at the University of Barcelona in Spain found taking caffeine and sugar at the same time boosted the brain’s performance more than taking them on their own, they now believe each one boosts the effect of the other on brain functions such as attention span and working memory.”

A low chuckle was heard from Morgan. 

“Yeah did you hear that guys, Pretty boy is here boosting his memory”

“Well I mean he needs all the help he can get Derek, it would be a shame for him to forget just how many tiles are on the floor of the men’s bathroom on the 3rd floors south wing”

Rossi leaned back in his seat continuing his banter with Derek as Hotch entered the room.

“Good morning everyone, I’m glad to see everyone's up bright and early, I called you all in here today to notify you that tomorrow we’ll have a new addition to the team.”

“Finally found someone to fill the job Aaron? You sure you don’t need more time?”

“Time is exactly what I need Dave, she's not a profiler, she's a translator and a linguistic analyst. She's spent the past year as a contract worker for CIU.”

“Did they dump her Hotch? We really don’t need any flakey dead weight around here”

“They couldn’t have terminated her Morgan, not unless she violated their agreement in some drastic way and after that they wouldn’t have let her even apply for this position, which means-”

“Reid is correct in his assumptions, she left the CIU of her own accord and sought out the opening here. She has everything it would take to be a profiler and it would be wonderful to add her on as one, but until she agrees and is ready she’ll still be a very valuable part of this team, please take the extra half hour you have left to clear off one on the unassigned desks in the bullpen, you're all dismissed.”

The removal of pale folders had not taken long, neither did the rest of the morning. Soon Spencer found himself on his lunch break at the bench. He was leafing through the last pages of The Return of the Native for the second time this week. Having someone to compare notes with made him slow down in his reading. He was still reading at an alarmingly fast rate, however he took more time to appreciate the words written on and around the page. He was thankful for this escape. 

He opened the clear plastic sliding door of the box, surprised to see The Catcher in the Rye sitting inside. Opening it he saw an array of notes, they seemed to be pretty shaky and somewhat hard to decipher but a note in the back cover stood out. 

It wasn’t written with a trembling hand but it was still her, he was sure of it. He grinned as he read it: “I’ve let go of my Sunny, found my Pheobe, and it seems dear Culpeper, I’ve come to call upon you as my Jane Gallagher ~ Cartier D. Howah” 

The sentiment was tucked away into his bag along with the book, he thought of it often that night, glad to be thought of in this strangers affections but saddened slightly knowing that much like Jane would never get a call from Holden, his Queen had no other way of contacting him than through the works of other’s hidden symbolism.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll try and update when I can, I had a surprise day off today and this was the best way to spend it!

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, thank you all for reading! If you have any suggestions for the story or for good books drop a comment and I'll try my best to respond!


End file.
